BLACK CAT.✔

Chapter Seventeen

"I'm waiting for Mr. Campbell, sir."

"Why?"

"We had an issue in maths, sir."

"Right..." Kevin Bradshaw nodded. "I can't wait to hear this." He headed back to the office. Rob Jarvis had come to his school with the highest recommendations from Chermside State High. He had been their captain. His academic results were in the top ten percent in the state and his sporting ability was most likely going to help his school win the state flag in hockey. Now he was standing on his white line. Yep. He couldn't wait to hear the reason.

The boys left with their heads hung and ten minutes later Steve Campbell came around the corner of the verandah and tweaked his head. "Rob. Follow me." He knocked on the principal's door and opened it. "Are you ready for us?"

Kevin Bradshaw leaned back in his chair and brought his hands together. He smiled. "More than ready. Can't wait to be honest." He glanced from Mr. Campbell to Rob. "Take a seat." He looked back at the maths teacher. "So what's going on, Steve?"

"How about you tell Mr. Bradshaw, Rob? Since you're the one with the issue."

Rob looked from the teacher to the principal. "I refused to sit in my assigned seat, sir."

"Why?" Kevin peered at them.

"I don't like where I'm sitting and didn't want to sit there today."

"Is this a joke, Rob?"

"No, sir."

"So what don't you like about the seat? Too uncomfortable. Too close to the board. Too far away. What?"

What to say? Rob took a breath but before he could say anything Steve Campbell said. "Becky Bridgestone sits at the same desk. I suspect it has something to do with her. I put it to Rob that he and Becky have had a tiff and that's the reason he refused to sit there. I've never had this kind of disrespect in my class and I won't start putting up with it now over a lovers quarrel."

"Is this true, Rob?" Kevin leant forward and put his forearms on the desk. "I can't have my or Mr. Campbell's time wasted over stupid teen crush rubbish."

Rob nodded. What the hell. He'd go with that. "Yes. Becky and I had a fight. I don't want to be anywhere near her today."

"This is crap, Rob. You do realise this don't you. To be honest I'm shocked that someone of your academic and maturity level would pull a stunt like this." Mr. Bradshaw looked at Steve Campbell, and then back at Rob. "Here's what's gonna happen. You do this again and you're off the hockey team. I don't care how good you are. You understand that?"

"Yes, sir."

"I won't have you disrespecting one of my teachers like this. You sit where you're told. I don't care who you've had a fight with. You sort that stuff in your personal time. Because of your stupidity, you've just lost an hour of your own time. I want you in detention at lunch."

"Yes, sir." Rob stood. "I'm sorry Mr. Campbell. It won't happen again."

"It better not, Rob." Steve nudged his head in acceptance of the apology. "I'll see you next week in a move positive frame of mind, right?"

"Yes, sir."

Rob headed to his next class. Chemistry. He had no idea why he'd done that in maths. That wasn't strictly true. Being close to Becky Bridgestone wasn't where he wanted to be. The thought of her going off with Hunter Jones had eaten at his guts all night. He'd tried to sleep. To stop worrying about what he couldn't change but he couldn't stop thinking that the Becky she showed wasn't the Becky she really was.

After seeing her with her brother, it just didn't add up.

He sat at a bench by himself, hung his head, and rubbed his eyes. He felt so tired.

"So what was that shit all about?"

Rob looked up into Becky's furious face.

She screwed up her face and hissed, "It was about me wasn't it?"

Ah...he didn't need this crap but he didn't have any fight left in him. Rob stared at her and thought. Don't say a word. Just keep your mouth shut and don't say a word.

"So now you're going to play a stupid, I'm not talking to you, game. Is that right?"

"Well... you know what, Becky. I'm sick of trying to talk to you because all you do is spit and hiss. Oh... and fuck!" He put on a surprised face and flung both hands up in the air. "How could I forget about the fucking? Why don't you just fuck your arse off back to your desk? There's got to be at least five guys with dicks on your way."

Rob watched her gaze drop to the floor. Her chest swelled. He thought for sure she was going to come back at him but when she looked up her eyes were awash with tears that hadn't spilt over.

She sucked in another breath, went to her desk, and grabbed her bag.

Becky lifted her books and held them close to her chest. She didn't look over at him as she left the room but kept her head hung.

He growled and thought what a prick act he'd just pulled but she wouldn't stop making every encounter a battle.

As Rob sat down at the lunch table, the group stared at him. "What?"

Shorty laughed. "It should be us saying what to you. What the hell happened?" He laughed some more and the others followed.

"So fill us in." Greg jerked his head. "Drew reckons you refused to sit with Becky in maths and were sent to the office."

"Yeah." Rob bit his apple and chewed as he looked at their faces.

"So... like... what happened?" Greg pushed.

"I've got detention at lunch."

"That's it." Shorty leant forward with his elbows on the table. "That's all you're going to tell us."

Rob shrugged. "I just had the shits with having to sit at the front and thought I'd see if I could push the boundaries. It didn't work, now I'm stuck with detention at lunch. I was being a cock. End of story." He grinned as he looked at each face staring at him. "Now can we move on? Please."

"Yep. I agree." Scott beamed. "Time to talk about my par...tee...." He looked around the group. "Who's got parents who'll buy us some grog?"

They looked from one to the other. Lizzy smiled and said, "Maybe Drew's parents. I think they let him drink."

"I'll buy it."

They turned to look at Rob. Shorty said, "Your parents will buy your alcohol?"

He laughed. "I'm eighteen. I can buy my own."

"You're eighteen?"

"Yeah. Turned eighteen at the beginning of this month. We moved states when I was seven so they held me back a grade."

"Oh...yeah." Scott high fived him. "This year is gonna be great!"

Copyright © 2017 by Donna Fieldhouse. All rights reserved.

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